MLK i-Village container park

H.E. Holmes Marta Transit Station, Atlanta, Georgia

BACKGROUND

Atelier Seven began discussion with Invest Atlanta in early July 2017 to develop programmatic uses that could be imagined and implemented on a short-term basis on an under utilized parking lot adjacent to the HE Holmes Transit Station. These conversations inspired us to think how temporary structures might be used to active underutilized places throughout the city; bringing diverse groups of people together and providing the foundation for new Start-Up businesses on the ML King Corridor.

iVillage is an urban construct, and represents the first retail container park in the City of Atlanta and the State of Georgia. iVIllage becomes a new model for flexible urbanism-temporarily transforming underused but high-value urban areas into a thriving cultural experience; an investigation into the creation of that Third Place.

Ten repurposed shipping containers surround an elevated wood plaza creating a self-enclosing installation of retail and food & beverage units. The total project area is 5,664 GSF. Container objects include the use of 20 foot, 40 foot and 45 ISBU units including a vertical tower used as the site icon and sign banner. The project was elevated over the existing sloped parking lot to minimize site disruption and water mitigation as well as create a ADA accessible plaza that includes green space, giant chess game and gabion basket seating. The project is scheduled to open late fall 2018.